Ontario Indigenous Student Bursary

To be eligible for the Indigenous Student Bursary, a student must self-identify as an Indigenous person in Canada. For the purposes of this bursary, an Indigenous person in Canada is anyone who states that they are an Indigenous person, that is, First Nations, Métis or Inuk (Inuit). The bursary is available to students for any year of the program they are enrolled in. Students who have previous postsecondary education are still eligible to receive the Indigenous Student Bursary.

To be eligible for this bursary, students must:
• self-identify as an Indigenous person in Canada;
• demonstrate financial need;
• be attending an approved institution;
• be a Canadian citizen, a permanent resident, or a protected person under subsection 95(2) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (Canada) prior to receiving the bursary. Students may choose to provide proof of status in Canada by means of Indigenous status (e.g., status card or Métis registry, where applicable); and
• be an Ontario resident: as of the first day of their study period, Ontario must be the most recent province in which the student resided for 12 consecutive months, not including time as a full-time postsecondary student.

Students may not be considered for the bursary if they do not meet these criteria. A student does not have to be enrolled in a program that has been approved for OSAP purposes – students in apprenticeship programs, academic upgrading, part-time programs and micro credentials, may be considered for the bursary, if they meet all other eligibility criteria.

Notice of Collection of Personal Information
If the student is selected as the recipient of an Indigenous Student Bursary, the Ministry will indirectly collect student’s personal information from their post-secondary institution pursuant to paragraphs 1 and 4 of s. 15(1) of the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities Act.
If a student is selected as the recipient of an Indigenous Student Bursary, the personal information collected by the Ministry will include information on their program of study and year of study at the post-secondary institution, as well a brief rationale for their selection. The Ministry uses this personal information to administer the Indigenous Student Bursary program, which includes planning or delivering the program, allocating resources, evaluating or monitoring the program, and detecting, monitoring and preventing fraud or any unauthorized receipts of services or benefits related to the program. If a student is selected as the recipient of an Indigenous Student Bursary and the student has applied for OSAP assistance, the Ministry will also use their personal information for the purposes of administering OSAP.
If you have any questions about the Ministry’s collection or use of your personal information, please contact: Director, Student Financial Assistance Branch, Ministry of Colleges, Universities, Research Excellence and Security, PO Box 4500, 189 Red River Road, 4th Floor, Thunder Bay, Ontario, P7B 6G9; 807-343-7260.